Frank Haley, Will's school chum, and Allen Washburn, the young lawyer, were very anxious to start off and make a search for their friend. But Mr. Ford, though deeply grateful to them, thought it might complicate matters. So, much against their desire, the two young men were forced to remain in Deepdale.
"Though we may take a run down and see you," said Allen to Betty a few days before the one set for the departure. "Would you mind?"
"We shall be very glad to see you," she answered, rather non-committally.
"We?" he asked, pointedly.
"Oh, of course I meant that I would, too," and she blushed as she glanced at him.
"That's better!" he laughed.
The next day Mollie telephoned for all of her chums to gather at her house for a sort of farewell tea some of the friends of the girls wished to tender to them. It was a cold, snowy, blustery day, and as Grace, wrapped in her furs walked shiveringly along with Amy and Betty she remarked:
"I can almost envy Will now—down where it is nice and warm."
"Oh, we'll soon be there," answered Betty.
They found Mollie in the midst of showing some of her new gowns to her friends, and the
